Ketuanan Melayu is Respect and Should Not be Disputed

Jail all those who harp on racial issues, says repBy MEERA VIJAYAN at the Johor State Assembly

The Ketuanan Melayu issue was among the hot topics at the state assembly yesterday with one assemblyman even asking for those raising racial matters to be jailed.

Tahir Taat (BN-Bukit Serampang) meanwhile, said politicians, including members of the Barisan Nasional component parties, started harping on racial issues, though such issues did not crop up among rural folk.

The concept of Ketuanan Melayu, he said, did not mean that non-Malays were servants but it was merely a mark of respect for the Malay sultanate.

Datuk Abdul Halim Suleiman (BN-Puteri Wangsa) argued that Malaysians should not renege on agreements made prior to the country’s independence, including the special rights accorded to the Malays.

To dispute the phrase Ketuanan Melayu was something sensitive and should not be raised, he said adding that politicians had the responsibility to maintain harmony among the races.

So… ‘Malay Lordship’ is simply respect for the Sultans and not at all offensive or implying of superiority or dominance. Therefore, we shouldn’t dispute it.